The Oblation (Filipino: ''Pahinungod'', ''Oblasyon'') is a

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...

statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or Casting (metalworking), cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to ...

Guillermo Tolentino Guillermo Estrella Tolentino (July 24, 1890 – July 12, 1976) was a Filipino sculptor and professor of the University of the Philippines. He was designated as a National Artist of the Philippines for Sculpture in 1973, three years before his ...

that serves as one of the symbols of the

University of the Philippines The University of the Philippines (UP; ) is a Higher education in the Philippines#State universities and colleges, state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by List of Philippine laws, Re ...

. It depicts a man facing upward with arms outstretched, symbolizing a selfless offering of oneself to his union.

History

The idea for the Oblation was conceived during the presidency of Rafael Palma, who was the one to commission Tolentino to make the sculpture. Palma requested that the statue would be based on the second verse of Rizal's '' Mi Ultimo Adios'': The concrete sculpture, painted to look like bronze, measures 3.5 meters in height, symbolizing the 333 years of Spanish rule in the Philippines.Michael Tan
''The Oblation''
Pinoy Kasi. Retrieved October 6, 2007. The sculpture is replete with references to selfless dedication and service to the nation, and as Tolentino himself describes it,
Oblation.com.ph Retrieved October 6, 2007. Initially, the statue was completely naked, but for reasons of decency, it was modified by U.P. President Jorge Bocobo, 5th President of UP, adding a

fig leaf thumb In culture, a "fig leaf" or "fig-leaf" is a literal or figurative method of obscuring an act or object considered embarrassing or distasteful with something of innocuous appearance. The use of an actual fig leaf for the purpose originates i ...

to cover the genitals. The sculpture was funded by the U.P. students of 1935–36. It was presented by Potenciano Illusorio and Jose B. Laurel, Jr., presidents of the student council during the first and second semesters, respectively. The statue was dedicated in March 1939 at the University's Manila campus, the main campus then, where it stayed until February 1949, when the main administrative offices of the university moved to the new

University of the Philippines Diliman The University of the Philippines Diliman (also called UPD; ), also referred to as UP Diliman, is a State university and college (Philippines), public, coeducational, Research university, research university located in Diliman, Quezon City, Ph ...

campus in

Quezon City Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...

. The transfer of the Oblation to its new home served as the highlight of the move from Manila, which is historically referred to as the Exodus.''Exodus Marker'', Quezon Hall, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City. Retrieved October 6, 2007. The sculpture in front of the Quezon Hall at UP Diliman was installed facing west, purportedly a tribute to the American roots of the university. Today, that sculpture is only a bronze replica (which was recast from the original in Italy in 1950, under the supervision of Tolentino himself) dedicated during the Golden Jubilee of U.P. on November 29, 1958. The original sculpture is kept at the Main Library (Gonzalez Hall), the former site of the U.P. College of Fine Arts. Several replicas of the Oblation were made for the various campuses of the University of the Philippines, some by National Artist

Napoleon Abueva Napoleon "Billy" Veloso Abueva (January 26, 1930 – February 16, 2018) was known as the "Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture" Through Proclamation No. 1539. He was proclaimed National Artist for Sculpture in 1976 when he was 46, making him ...

. The Oblation at the

University of the Philippines Visayas The University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV or UP Visayas) is a public university, public research university in Iloilo, Philippines. A constituent university of the University of the Philippines system, it teaches management, accountancy, ...

campus in Iloilo City was made by Professor Anastacio Caedo. Likewise, 2005 National Artist-nominee Glenn Bautista did his celebrated version of the Oblation in pen and ink as part of his schoolplates at the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts under Professor Rebillon. The sculpture was registered at the Intellectual Property Office in the year 2004. Being the main symbol of the university, the Oblation is the centrepiece of many U.P.-related logos, like those of the ''

Philippine Collegian The ''Philippine Collegian'', also known as ''Kulê'' (), is an alternative news outlet and the official student publication of the University of the Philippines Diliman. Established in 1922, the Collegian is commonly associated with the natio ...

'' and other official student publications, the U.P. Cooperative, and the U.P. Centennial emblem. The

University of the Philippines Open University The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) is a public research university and is the fifth constituent university of the University of the Philippines System. The majority of UPOU students are based in the Philippines but all of ...

Oblation sculpture is unique for its ribbon-like flag swirling around the pedestal and the replica of Guillermo Tolentino's U.P. Oblation. This gives an effect of the flag lifting the Oblation to greater heights and rendering it the boundless reach that is symbolic of U.P.O.U.'s prime objective of widening access to U.P. quality education. Completed in 2005, it was designed and executed by University Artist and U.P.O.U. Chancellor Dr. Grace J. Alfonso.

Locations

As the primary icon of the University of the Philippines, oblation statues are located on the campuses of its constituent universities, often on plazas named "oblation" after the statue, and in front of many U.P.'s satellite campuses. It is also located in the Abueva Ancestral House in Bohol which is the ancestral home of two notable UP alumni, former UP President Jose Abueva and National Artist Napoleon Abueva .

Model

The identity of the person who served as the model of the sculpture has been long been the subject of speculation. University literature records the names of two persons who served as a model for the oblation: Tolentino's student assistant Anastacio Caedo, and Tolentino's brother-in-law, Virgilio Raymundo. Specifically, Tolentino used Caedo's physique and Raymundo's proportion for reference.University of the Philippines Diliman Office for Initiatives for Culture and Arts. (2004). Pasyal: walking around U.P. Diliman. Quezon City : UP Diliman-OICA. Romulado, A.V.P. (2011, May). Tales from up diliman: fact or fiction. U.P. Newsletter, p. 7. Caedo would later become a professor of Fine Arts in the university himself, succeeding the deceased Tolentino. His works now form part of the University Collection, and one of his monuments of

Jose Rizal Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. Given name Mishnaic and Talmudic periods * Jose ben Abin * Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galilean * Jose ben Halaft ...

for the German government was installed in an eponymous Park in

Wilhelmsfeld Wilhelmsfeld is a municipality in the Rhein-Neckar-Kreis of Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Geography Wilhelmsfeld is a state-certified climatic health resort in the hills of the southern Odenwald, between 260 and 533m above sea-level. The surr ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. Caedo was the one who created the U.P. Baguio Oblation. The director-actor

Fernando Poe, Sr. Allan Fernando Reyes Poe (November 27, 1916 – October 23, 1951) was a Filipino actor and film director during the early era of cinema in the Philippines. Poe was the father of Fernando Poe Jr., who later became a prominent actor and fil ...

was the model, as he was a student at the university at the time the Oblation was being made. Other names that have said to pose for the sculpture include a friend of Tolentino, Ferdinand Glenn Gagarin and fireman June Villanueva.Feliciano, Gloria (ed). (1984). The University of the Philippines: a university for Filipinos. Quezon City : UP-Communication Research and Development Foundation.

Oblation Run

The Oblation Run at

is an annual tradition inspired by the

Oblation An oblation is a solemn offering, sacrifice or presentation to God, to the Church for use in God's service, or to the faithful, such as giving alms to the poor. The word comes from the Late Latin ''oblatio'' (from ''offerre'', ''oblatum'' 'to ...

done by the members of the

Alpha Phi Omega Alpha Phi Omega (), commonly known as APO, but also A-Phi-O and A-Phi-Q, is a national Mixed-sex education, coeducational Service fraternities and sororities, service Fraternities and sororities, fraternity. It is the largest College fraterniti ...

, one of the prominent and influential U.P. fraternities. Members of the fraternity run around the campus naked (a concept known as

streaking Streaking is the act of running naked through a public area for publicity, for fun, as a prank, a dare, a form of protest, or to participate in a fad. Streaking is often associated with sporting events, but can occur in more secluded areas. Str ...

) to protest their sentiments about a current political or economic situation.

"100 Nudes/100 Years"

Inspired by the U.P. Oblation, the University of the Philippines Alumni Association (U.P.A.A.) launched an art exhibit, "100 Nudes/100 Years" featuring the works of nine U.P. alumni national artists.newsinfo.inquirer.net, 100 NUDES/100 YEARS, Exhibit showcases UP's best artists in last 100 years

Notes

External links

History of Oblation

Oblation - iskWiki
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oblation (University Of The Philippines) Concrete sculptures in the Philippines Nude sculptures of men Statues in the Philippines University of the Philippines Alpha Phi Omega Public art in Metro Manila